Oosthuizen romps to 7-shot victory
Source: Agencies |
July 20, 2010, Tuesday
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SOUTH Africa's Louis Oosthuizen turned the British Open into a procession on Sunday, winning the famed Claret Jug after crushing the world's best by seven strokes at the home of golf.
The 27-year-old brought the Old Course, and the rest of the field, to its knees with an assured display of ball-striking and control to become the sixth South African major winner, and the first at the Open since Ernie Els in 2002.
"I would like to take this opportunity to say happy birthday to Mr Nelson Mandela back in South Africa," Oosthuizen said after being presented with the trophy on the 18th green. It was the former South African president's 92nd birthday on Sunday.
Oosthuizen, who had missed the cut in all his three previous Opens and was a 200-1 outsider before the tournament started, never looked like being headed after starting the day four clear but finished with a 71 for a 16-under total of 272.
The 27-year-old sank a short par putt at the 18th, took off his cap to acknowledge the thunderous applause from the crowd that lined the revered fairways, hugged his caddie before embracing his wife Nel-Mare and young daughter Jana.
England's Lee Westwood emerged from the pack to finish second, a 70 putting him on 279. Compatriot Paul Casey (75), who began the day as Oosthuizen's closest challenger, ended in a tie for third spot on eight under alongside Sweden's Henrik Stenson (71) and Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy (68).
From the moment Oosthuizen took the lead with a birdie at the seventh hole early on Friday morning, the cynics have been predicting his downfall, but the man nicknamed Shrek not only held on to it but methodically extended it despite all the brickbats the course and weather could hurl in his path.
The scene was set for a titanic battle between the final pairing when Casey missed a five-foot putt at the first for a birdie that would have put Oosthuizen under early pressure, and when the Englishman bogeyed the second the South African's lead was five shots.
Casey cut the deficit to four with a birdie at the sixth but as the chances went begging and no-one from the chasing pack threatened to take the Old Course apart, the title looked like Oosthuizen's with every passing hole.
The South African even escaped with a par at the fifth after his second found the deep gorse and his recovery scooped up an enormous tuft of undergrowth on his follow-through. A bogey from Oosthuizen at the eighth cut the deficit to three for the only time in the day but a superb 40-foot putt for an eagle two at the ninth restored the four-shot cushion.
The 27-year-old brought the Old Course, and the rest of the field, to its knees with an assured display of ball-striking and control to become the sixth South African major winner, and the first at the Open since Ernie Els in 2002.
"I would like to take this opportunity to say happy birthday to Mr Nelson Mandela back in South Africa," Oosthuizen said after being presented with the trophy on the 18th green. It was the former South African president's 92nd birthday on Sunday.
Oosthuizen, who had missed the cut in all his three previous Opens and was a 200-1 outsider before the tournament started, never looked like being headed after starting the day four clear but finished with a 71 for a 16-under total of 272.
The 27-year-old sank a short par putt at the 18th, took off his cap to acknowledge the thunderous applause from the crowd that lined the revered fairways, hugged his caddie before embracing his wife Nel-Mare and young daughter Jana.
England's Lee Westwood emerged from the pack to finish second, a 70 putting him on 279. Compatriot Paul Casey (75), who began the day as Oosthuizen's closest challenger, ended in a tie for third spot on eight under alongside Sweden's Henrik Stenson (71) and Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy (68).
From the moment Oosthuizen took the lead with a birdie at the seventh hole early on Friday morning, the cynics have been predicting his downfall, but the man nicknamed Shrek not only held on to it but methodically extended it despite all the brickbats the course and weather could hurl in his path.
The scene was set for a titanic battle between the final pairing when Casey missed a five-foot putt at the first for a birdie that would have put Oosthuizen under early pressure, and when the Englishman bogeyed the second the South African's lead was five shots.
Casey cut the deficit to four with a birdie at the sixth but as the chances went begging and no-one from the chasing pack threatened to take the Old Course apart, the title looked like Oosthuizen's with every passing hole.
The South African even escaped with a par at the fifth after his second found the deep gorse and his recovery scooped up an enormous tuft of undergrowth on his follow-through. A bogey from Oosthuizen at the eighth cut the deficit to three for the only time in the day but a superb 40-foot putt for an eagle two at the ninth restored the four-shot cushion.
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